


Trinity

by orphan_account



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-07
Updated: 2013-10-07
Packaged: 2017-12-28 16:03:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/993849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“If you don’t mind me asking or anything… What exactly is up with the three of you?”</p><p>In which Neal gets puzzled, and an explanation is in order.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trinity

**Author's Note:**

> What can I say? I started out just rooting from Mulan and Aurora, but then Phillip came back....  
> My best solution was to just darn well ship all of them together, and needed an explanation that made sense in the context of the world of the show. This was the result.

“If you don’t mind me asking or anything… What exactly is up with the three of you?”

“Up?” Phillip says, frowning. Aurora, sitting beside him, looking puzzled. Mulan, beside Aurora, glances at the ceiling, mouthing the word. 

Neal winces. “No, I mean…. Phillip and Aurora, you two are together, according to the stories in my world, but sometimes I think that Mulan and, or…” 

The three exchange a glance, and nod at each other. Neal raises an eyebrow at the exchange, as Aurora begins with “It’s complicated...”

“We are _all_ each other’s True Loves. All three of us, together.” Phillips says, to finish.

Neal stares. “Wait, what? Isn’t that impossible? I mean, I thought it was like, a one and done kinda deal. Isn’t it?”

“Rare? Perhaps. But not entirely unheard of, by my estimation, and I’ve travelled far across the land and others, and met a great many people.” Mulan interjects. “Some call it a _Hendiatris_ **,** others a _Trinity_. It can take special circumstances, certainly, and it’s something many people keep quiet. People have very strict notions of True Love, at times, and the idea of a _Trinity_ challenges that. The idea that there could only ever be one True Love, per person… It’s not entirely accurate, even outside of the context of a situation such as ours.”

“You see, I was put under the sleeping curse by Malefiecient, just before the Curse struck. Phillip and Mulan were caught in this world when the curse hit, and stayed for 28 years, suspended in time. When the Curse broke, they found me, and Phillip kissed me. The sleeping spell was broken, which makes us each other’s True Loves, yes?” Aurora begins, leaning back in her chair and bumping her shoulder against Mulan’s.

Neal nods, slowly. “Well, yeah. I mean, like I said, I know the story. It’s a story in our world as well, just like Mulan’s. Well, Mulan’s is more of a folk tale, but… I guess that counts? Anyway, yeah. Big dragon, maze of vines, sleeping curse, spinning wheel, all that stuff, right?”

“Essentially, yes. Then Phillip was taken by the wraith, and Aurora and I travelled with each other for a time, along with Emma & her mother. I’d heard much about Aurora from Phillip, and, well… Everything that he had said about her, and everything I came to know, about her strength, her courage… I did not plan on it, but I began to feel for her. And when her heart was stolen…”

“Wait, your heart was stolen?” Neal said, turning to Aurora, his eyes widening. “How… How did that happen?”

Aurora looks away. “By Captain Hook, on Cora’s orders. I’m ashamed. I allowed myself to be captured, allowed him to…” She trails off, and Mulan lays a hand on Aurora’s arm, squeezing tightly. Phillip leans over to do the same to Aurora’s knee. She looks between the two of them, smiling quietly.

Neal swallows, and Phillip narrows his eyes, and says, a touch of nervousness in his voice. “Are you familiar with him? Captain Hook.”

He grimaces. “Yeah. Unfortunately. And Emma seems to be travelling with him right now, which is part of what’s worrying me.”

Mulan reflexively looks at the crystal ball, lying in Neal’s lap. “Why would she….”

He shakes his head, shrugging, and looks down at the ball. “I don’t know. Anyway… Captain Hook stole your heart, and, what, you got it back?”

“He gave it back to me. Willingly, which surprised me. ”

“Huh.” Neal says, discomfited. “But how did you restore it? I thought only Dark magic could do that. ”

“Yes, Dark magic can. But something else, too. True Love. And thus a second tie is made. I don’t know why it was possible, but… The bond was formed, and that is undeniable.” Phillip says.

Aurora nods. “But at the time, neither of us had truly grasped the implications of that act. We were too focused on fighting our way to Phillip, having discovered a possible means of saving him. Finally, after a long journey, we discovered the Cavern of Souls, growing closer to each other as we travelled. But the Cavern was not unguarded. I was knocked unconscious, with precious few seconds left, and there was a great beast that the guardians released to try and keep us away, a devourer of souls that was fighting with Mulan over Phillip.”

Mulan grimaces. “It disarmed me, and I was helpless, I thought there could not possibly be any hope left. So I kissed Phillip’s spirit. I don’t know why. An apology, perhaps, for failing him. So I would have the chance to do so before we all perished. Something.”

“Only we didn’t perish at all.” Phillip smiled.

“No. We didn’t. The kiss worked. Which makes Mulan and Phillip also each other’s True Loves, just as Phillip is my True Love, and I Phillip’s, and Mulan and I the same, forming a _Trinity_.” Aurora finishes the explanation. “Do you understand?”

Neal waves his hands. “Yes. No. Maybe. I don’t know… Isn’t that… I don’t know? Messy? Weird? Complicated?”

“We’ve managed.” The three of them say in unison. 

Aurora leans forward, her eyes bright. “It’s all very new, but so far, there hasn’t been anything that has arisen as a problem. None of the loves interfere with each other, you see? We each see things in each other that the other does not, love parts of each other’s souls and minds and hearts in different ways. As long as we keep all of this in mind, and listen to each other...”

“I thought I would be jealous, and in the very beginning, perhaps I was.” Mulan admits, looking away. “But there is nothing to be jealous of, truly.”

Phillip nods. “We are very lucky. If anything, the love is stronger. After all, in this world, the greatest power comes when things are in three, does it not?”

Neal stares at them, and nods, slowly. “Huh. Okay then. Anything else I need to know?”

Aurora nods, gravely. “Mulan has tiny dragon that follows her around in order to advise her. But he isn’t very good at it.”

“Really?” Neal perks up.

There’s a beat, then peals of laughter from the three of them. Neal pauses, then frowns. “Wait, so you don’t?”

Mulan rolls her eyes. “Of course not. That would be ridiculous. The dragons from my land are venerable creatures who would only ever give the wisest of advice, and there is only one record of one who ever journeyed to the West, where this land resides.”

“Aurora was making a jest.” Phillip says, earnestly. 

Neal wisely decides not to mention _that_ particular aspect of the movie, and lets the conversation rest.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, critiques, and reviews, as always, will be greeted with endless gratitude.


End file.
